WASHINGTON -- The Devils will make several lineup changes when they face the Washington Capitals Saturday night at Verizon Center.

In addition to winger Damien Brunner, who will be lost for at least four weeks with a right knee injury, center Andrei Loktionov will sit out the game because he is under the weather.

"I wasn't feeling good the last game. I felt a little bit sick. I have a cold," Loktionov told me. "i don't feel any better today. I feel the same."

Both Jacob Josefson and Mattias Tedenby will be in the lineup., so he may also be in the lineup.

Cam Janssen did not skate Saturday morning

The injury to Brunner won't mean a faster return for winger Ryane Clowe, who has been out with a concussion since Oct. 13.

"I don't really get the feeling that that's how they do things around here," Clowe said after skating with Bryce Salvador, Reid Boucher and Martin Brodeur at Verizon Center. "I'm not sure exactly when they want me to come back. If they have a plan in place for me, it feels like they're sticking to it.

"They've been pretty patient with me through this whole thing. So an injury here or there, or a loss, they're not going to push any buttons. It was pretty unfortunate for Brunner. I don't know what the injury is but it looked pretty bad when I was watching it. I had an ACL tear a few years ago. I hope it's nothing like that."

General manager Lou Lamoriello said Brunner will miss a minimum of four weeks with a right knee injury, but will not require surgery. After undergoing an MRI it was determined Brunner will undergo rehab.

"I think going into the boards might've helped him brace it," Clowe said. "I think the boards helped him for sure. It was a weird play. (Mark Fistric's) knee was out. I was talking to (Cam Janssen) about this. A lot of times you finish your hits like that. You're not really sticking your knee out. The guy might pull up. He just got him in the right spot. It's too bad. He was playing well."

The Devils were looking to get some injured players back when Brunner went down.

"The thing is, when you're injured the game just passes you by. So many games. This year if you miss a couple of weeks you're missing a bunch of games with the condensed schedule," Clowe said. "You look around the league. There are so many teams. I was watching St. Louis the other night. They have a bunch of injuries. So many top guys out. That's just how it is.

"One thing about this team, the structure we play helps us as far as dealing with that. Guys step in and there is no in-between. We play to win and guys adapt well to that."

The Devils are being cautious with Clowe because of his history with head injuries.

"I totally understand why they would want me to get a few extra days and just some more contact," he said. "When you're out as long as I am, you take a little extra time. It has nothing to do with me. I want to get back as soon as possible. But I understand that part of it.

"I think I'm at a stage now whenever I do come back and play I'll feel comfortable. I feel like I've done everything I needed. Sometimes it's hard to be patient, but at this stage it's the right thing."

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Rookie winger Reid Boucher thought he was going to be a scratch when his name wasn't in the lineup for the Capitals game. But he was informed that he would, indeed, be in.

"I wasn't in the lineup. It changed two minutes ago. Now I am playing," a relieved Boucher said.

Still, Boucher said he wasn't surprised that he came close to being scratched.

"I'm not surprised. I didn't play great. I didn't play very good," he said. "Obviously I want to play and compete every night. I have to work harder."